The U.K.’s most important wholesale floral hub launched BFW in 2013 as a low-budget, social media-driven “annual celebration of seasonal, locally-grown flowers and foliage united the U.K. cut flower industry and sparking public and media interest in where our flowers come from.” It has become a popular and successful campaign to promote British flowers — and floral designers.

By the time we had finished sipping from our steaming mugs of tea in the Market’s employee break room, I was thinking to myself: “I should start American Flowers Week.”

Helen and her colleagues were immensely helpful and supportive. I returned to the U.S. in late May 2015 inspired by the BFW model, equipped with Helen’s suggestions and resources, and by the end of June, I introduced American Flowers Week.

It seems entirely fitting that our week coincides with Independence Day, July 4th. Not only do these dates provide a patriotic hook on which to hang AFW, the timing is perfect because there are local flowers growing on farms in all 50 U.S. states, Alaska included, in late June and early July. And, as one wholesale floral manager suggested: “It’s otherwise a down time in floral, so we love having a new event to help promote flowers.”

The initial grass-roots endeavor enjoyed 400,000 social media impressions during the 2015 campaign.

In 2016, we added beautiful collateral material, a free USA floral coloring map that participating florists and flower farmers could download and share with customers, and even red-white-and-blue stickers used by florists, flower farmers and retailers to label their AFW bouquets. Impressions on social media hit 1.3 million last year.

This year’s campaign graphic features Floral Fashion by Amy Kunkel-Patterson of Gather Design Co., photography by Anna Peters, and graphic design by Jenny Diaz — read the entire story tomorrow!

I can’t wait to see what we’ll reach for 2017. This is Day Two of American Flowers Week and we’ve already hit 2.0 million impressions on Twitter & Instagram alone! That’s radical! Love how the Slow Flowers Tribe is helping make American Flowers Week a *trending topic!

For 2017, I’ve borrowed yet another page from British Flowers Week. BFW selects five iconic U.K.-grown flowers and pairs each with a high-profile florist or design team to produce installations and vignettes. The press and online media devour these images — and of course, the publication of them creates a buzz about British flowers and the farmers and florists who supply them.

Slow Flowers, which presents AFW, has commissioned five floral-inspired fashion shoots depicting iconic American grown blooms. The designers who contributed their creativity and artistic talents teamed up with generous flower farms that donated stems straight from their fields and greenhouses.

The goal? To showcase domestic and seasonal flowers in a new and engaging way — and to show how inventiveness and ingenuity, along with American grown flowers, produce beautiful results.

Upcoming: For the next 5 days — through July 4th — I’ll post the story of each Floral Fashion, with insights from its designer, as well as flower farmers who provided the botanicals incorporated in each wearable style.

Behind the Scenes at the Slow Flowers Summit

What inspired me to create the Slow Flowers Summit?
Over the years, there have been other ideas floating around about a conference focused on flower farmers and florists coming together to learn about the Slow Flowers Movement, but nothing really gained traction and I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted it to be.

The idea first began to form while I was chatting with my friend Amy Stewart and her husband Scott Brown at the first Field to Vase Dinner of 2016.

We were enjoying the spectacle of a tulip-filled commercial greenhouse at Sun Valley Flower Farm in Arcata, Calif., not too far from where Amy and Scott live.

And as we reminisced about Amy’s New York Times bestselling book Flower Confidential, which includes a significant narrative about Sun Valley and its CEO Lane DeVries (who was our host at that dinner), I blurted out to Amy: “Wow, do you realize that next year, 2017, will be the ten-year anniversary of Flower Confidential?”

She laughed and said, no, she hadn’t really made that connection. And then she said: “I should do something to commemorate that. We should do something together.”

Amy’s presentation: “Where We’ve Come From and Where We’re Heading” shares her floral obvervations and predictions.

We both filed the idea away and then later in the year, while I was beginning plans for American Flowers Week 2017, I thought, “Why don’t I hold some kind of symposium during that week? Maybe Amy will come and speak.”

The Slow Flowers Summit, the idea more than anything else concrete, bubbled up into my consciousness and I looked at the calendar to think about my options.

I called Amy and asked if she would be my keynote speaker to talk about the decade of change that we’ve witnessed in the domestic cut flower industry.

She immediately said, “Yes, I’m in!”

Amy’s involvement lent the gravitas that we needed as the hub around which to build a full day of conversations about the progressive ideas that the Slow Flowers Movement espouses. Rather than a farming-themed symposia, the Summit speaker lineup and topics came together to include professional floral design, domestic sourcing and environmentally-conscious practices, personal development, as well as business branding, values and creativity.

And this leads to the second thing that inspired and influenced me. I attended the Seattle TEDx conference last November, curious to experience that format. I wanted to think big and be nontraditional in my approach to staging my own mini-version of such an ambitious platform. The way TEDx is packaged and produced appeals to me. The use of visuals and video that accompanies the presentations, the condensed time-frame for multiple talks, the unexpected topics — all of these ideas influenced what I wanted for the Summit.

So the lineup came together with Amy and I knew Teresa Sabankaya of Bonny Doon Garden Co.had to be involved. Teresa is the “real” florist profiled by Amy in Flower Confidential — the Santa Cruz florist whose sidewalk kiosk filled with flowers from her own cutting garden gave Amy an alternative (and successful) model to contrast with the global floriculture industry documented elsewhere in her book.

James Baggett

I also wanted a dynamic emcee and I’m so fortunate that James Baggett, longtime friend and editor from Country Gardens magazine, said yes.

Now the garden editor for Better Homes & Gardensmagazine, James’s energy, intelligence and engaging personality will strike the perfect chord for our day’s schedule of events.

And yes, he is a lover of all flora and fauna, especially puppies!

Two other innovators agreed to join the program and I am thrilled that they’ll be part of the Summit for similar reasons.

Emily (left) and Lisa (right) will push your creative thinking to new levels.

Both Emily Ellen Anderson of Lola Creative(Seattle) and Lisa Waud of pot & box (Detroit) are floral designers who think and execute flowers in a thoroughly unconventional manner.

I believe their presentations will embolden audience members to take creative risks, develop a personal value and mission statement, and stay true to those beliefs as artists. In addition to talking about reinvention — personally, professionally and sustainably, Emily will produce a foam free floral wall in “real time,” over the course of the day’s activities — engaging participants to design alongside her and learn about her methods. Lisa will lead “a creative conversation” as she shares her personal journey in artistic risk-taking — including her story of the now-famous Flower House Detroit (2015) and Detroit Flower Week(2016).

Clockwise, from top left: Leslie Bennett, Chantal Aida Gordon, Riz Reyes and Nicole Cordier Wahlquist. Their panel discussion will open new paths to a more inclusive, meaningful experience for all of us.

It was at Detroit Flower Week that something really special occurred – a conversation about diversity (or lack thereof) in the floral industry. I was so pleased that Lisa hosted an in-the-round discussion among professionals attending Detroit Flower Week, and I wanted to continue the dialogue with a panel at the Summit. In my opinion, horticulture and floriculture have similar trajectories, so I’ve invited four amazing talents from both worlds to share their personal narratives about being people of color navigating their professional paths in flowers and gardens. Continue reading →

Last year’s USA floral coloring map was a big hit with everyone who joined American Flowers Week promotions. We heard from Slow Flowers members who shared free copies at their Farmers’ Market stands, who took copies to their kids’ classrooms, and who handed out the coloring pages at their retail shops.

When it came to planning a 2017 version, artist Jenny Diaz went in a new direction — to celebrate the official State Flower of all 50 states, individually and compiled in to a beautiful new map (seen above).

Looking for a specific State, such as Your State?! Individual Maps can also be downloaded and printed for your promotions. We encourage you to add your own logo to the artwork and PLEASE post images of what you color! Tag with #americanflowersweek and #stateflowermap

American-grown flowers are worth celebrating, so I figured they needed their own holiday. It’s called American Flowers Week. And what better time of year than July 4th, Independence Day, to plan the festivities? For the third consecutive year, American Flowers Week (June 28-July 4) gives flower farmers and their customers endless good reasons for promoting homegrown botanicals.

I come from the world of media, and I know how important having an answer to the “why now?” question can be when persuading writers and editors that a story is timely or relevant. If the news generated by last year’s AFW campaign is any indication, there is indeed media interest in featuring American-grown flowers in newspapers, magazines and blogs, and even on television. Hey, it’s newsworthy!

Special thanks to everyone who shared their support and past experiences for the story, including:

Little did I realize how personal this project would become, for Holly and for the woman who served as both model and inspiration for so many of her friends and colleagues.

Holly knew I wanted to use the floral fashion project to showcase domestic flowers, the design talents of Slow Flowers members and America’s beautiful diversity in our model selection. At first, she had a particular model in mind; then she called and told me she wanted to have Parie Donaldson wear the floral creation.

Parie was diagnosed with breast cancer on July 19, 2016, and began her chemotherapy treatments about a month later. An uber-talented floral designer, owner of Amarillo, Texas-based Parie Designs, and a member of Chapel Designers, Parie had recently shared her scary news with that tight-knit community of wedding and event designers, including their founder, Holly.

Holly invited Parie to attend Flowerstock as her guest, and she wanted her friend to experience restorative time on the Virginia farm, surrounded by the supportive floral community. “We all knew she was coming to Flowerstock before returning to Amarillo for a double-mastectomy,” Holly told me. “And I knew you wanted to have unique models and real people, so it felt right to design with Parie as our model.”

By the time everyone arrived at Hope Flower Farm for Flowerstock (October 17-18, 2016), Holly had already imagined the theme of “rebirth,” picturing Parie emerging out of flames into flowers.

The huge stone fire pit at Hope seemed like the perfect setting for the undertaking. With several design instructors and attendees lending support, the team draped Parie in sheer, diaphanous fabric and began to “flower” her. She stood at the center of the fire pit, regal, mythical and strong, as new and old friends adorned her head, shoulders and body. She held a piece of foraged bark, which Holly says a few designers dragged back to Hope Farm from a nearby vineyard. It somehow morphed into a botanical scepter, part of the imaginary storyline of Parie as warrior-goddess.

“This was a gift to me from Holly, and it was pretty significant,” Parie recalls now. “The amount of physical support, monetary support . . . it’s the stuff that brings me to my knees. It was overwhelming.”

Filled with flame-hued dahlias and other blooms, the fire pit symbolized a rebirth for Parie. (c) Abby Jiu Photography

Dahlias, amaranth, roses and other flowers — from Hope Farm and farms across the U.S. — embellished Parie and her scepter. More were used to symbolize flames in the fire pit.

For her part, Parie remembers the emotions more than the actual experience. “I was really raw. My psyche was raw at that point; my hair was gone. I was about to lose my boobs. I was physically weak, mentally weak, mentally raw — it was very unlike how I usually am as a confident, take-charge leader.”

Going to Flowerstock and being surrounded by a supportive community was a positive act, Parie says. “It was oddly comforting that I could absolutely let go while I was there. It was very loving and comforting that these women and men were completely taking care of me. It was certainly physical; it felt like an age-old ritual of laying hands on me. Pretty powerful.”

Holly had imagined Parie emerging, phoenix-like, from a fire. For her part, Parie held onto a similarly potent image during her cancer treatment. “My visual for working through this was a Joan of Arc type figure. I imagined I had a suit of armor and on each of the scales on that armor appeared the name of all the other women who had gone before me, especially those I knew through my past support of the Susan G. Komen Foundation in my community. I told Holly about it, and the visual of a warrior became real when everyone started grabbing flowers to place on my head and body.”

After finishing and photographing Parie, the group placed leftover flowers in the pit and built a campfire that burned for two days, through daytime and night. “We are a very close-knit group and for all of us to be part of that and to work on the installation was very healing,” Holly says

Nature comes full circle, with the charred Amaranth seeds re-sprouting in the same place where Parie once stood (c) Holly Chapple via Instagram

Fast-forward to June 2017 and the seeds of once-burned amaranth stalks have begun to re-sprout in that very fire pit, appropriately bringing new life to Hope Farm. Parie has gone through five surgeries and radiation treatment and is getting ready for her final breast reconstruction surgery later this month.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier doing what I’m doing in my life,” Parie says. “Cancer will change your life. It puts things into perspective, especially how you choose to spend your time and energy. Being in flowers has changed my life. It has always been a comfort zone for me, but it is more so now.”

In Year Three, American Flowers Week Salutes Iconic U.S.-Grown Flowers and Foliages with a Couture Approach

We’re so excited to share the story of American Flowers Week 2017 in the new issue of Florists’ Review! Here’s a sneak peek of the spreads in Debra Prinzing’s story, titled “Homegrown Event presents Floral Fashions.”

The opening paragraphs tell how American Flowers Week came to be:

In 2015, while in London for the Chelsea Flower Show, I met with Helen Evans, one of the geniuses behind New Covent Garden Market’s successful British Flowers Week campaign (June 19-25, 2017). The U.K.’s most important wholesale floral hub launched BFW in 2013 as a low-budget, social media-driven “annual celebration of seasonal, locally-grown flowers and foliage united the U.K. cut flower industry and sparking public and media interest in where our flowers come from.” It has become a popular and successful campaign to promote British flowers — and floral designers.

By the time we had finished sipping from our steaming mugs of tea in the Market’s employee break room, I was thinking to myself: “I should start American Flowers Week.”

Helen and her colleagues were immensely helpful and supportive. I returned to the U.S. in late May 2015 inspired by the BFW model, equipped with Helen’s suggestions and resources, and by the end of June, I introduced American Flowers Week.

It seemed entirely fitting that our week coincides with Independence Day, July 4th. Not only do these dates provide a patriotic hook on which to hang AFW, the timing is perfect because there are local flowers growing on farms in all 50 U.S. states, Alaska included, in late June and early July. And, as one wholesale floral manager suggested: “It’s otherwise a down time in floral, so we love having a new event to help promote flowers.”

The initial grass-roots endeavor enjoyed 400,000 social media impressions during the 2015 campaign. In 2016, we added beautiful collateral material, a free USA floral coloring map that participating florists and flower farmers could download and share with customers, and even red-white-and-blue stickers used by florists, flower farmers and retailers to label their AFW bouquets. Impressions on social media hit 1.3 million last year.

For 2017, I’ve borrowed yet another page from British Flowers Week. BFW selects five iconic U.K.-grown flowers and pairs each with a high-profile florist or design team to produce installations and vignettes. The press and online media devour these images — and of course, the publication of them creates a buzz about British flowers and the farmers and florists who supply them.

Slow Flowers, which presents AFW, has commissioned several floral-inspired fashion shoots depicting iconic American grown blooms. The designers who contributed their creativity and artistic talents teamed up with generous flower farms that donated stems straight from their fields and greenhouses.

The goal? To showcase domestic and seasonal flowers in a new and engaging way — and to show how inventiveness and ingenuity, along with American grown flowers, produce beautiful results.

These All-American floral looks would never have been possible without the support of Slow Flowers’ sponsors, including Certified American Grown, Arctic Alaska Peony Cooperative, Longfield Gardens, Syndicate Sales, Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.

Congrats to all of our talented designers, photographers, models, hair/makeup artists — AND ESPECIALLY, the Flower Farmers who provided the blooms. See credits below.